Written questions by Forster.

If his department is considering extending the eligibility for the winter covid-19 vaccination programme.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, involving hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.On 13 November 2024, JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults;- individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the UK Health Security Agency Green Book. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Whether her Department made arrangements to (a) maintain the property and (b) pay any outstanding liabilities following the introduction of sanctions on the owners of Sutton Place.

OFSI does not generally comment on specific cases. For further information about how OFSI takes licensing decisions, please see the OFSI’s general guidance here, and OFSI’s supplemental licensing guidance here. The asset freeze imposed on designated persons prohibits them from dealing with or benefiting from their UK assets, including real estate. Where appropriate, OFSI may issue either a general or specific licence on behalf of HM Treasury to permit activity that would otherwise be prohibited by an asset freeze. This includes to enable payments for pre-existing obligations and for the routine holding and maintenance of properties owned by designated persons. However, while a licence permits such payments, it does not compel the designated person to undertake the work. Therefore, even if OFSI issues a licence, maintenance or repairs will only take place if the designated person is willing to carry them out.

What the status is of sanctions on Sutton Place in Woking constituency.

OFSI does not generally comment on specific cases. For further information about how OFSI takes licensing decisions, please see the OFSI’s general guidance here, and OFSI’s supplemental licensing guidance here. Designations under UK sanctions regimes are published on the OFSI Consolidated List, which provides details of individuals and entities subject to financial sanctions, including asset freezes. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also maintains the UK sanctions List, which outlines relevant regimes and listings. Where a designated person (DP) owns or controls economic resources, such as property, those resources are subject to an asset freeze. This means that dealing with or making funds or economic resources available to or for the benefit of a DP, whether directly or indirectly, is prohibited unless authorised by either a General Licence or Specific Licence from OFSI or an applicable legislative exception.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of improving (a) traceability and (b) transparency in dog breeding through strengthened (i) regulation and (ii) microchipping requirements.

Defra completed a Post-Implementation Review of the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations 2018, which regulate dog breeding. The Government is considering the findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course. Compulsory dog microchipping was introduced in England in 2016. All dogs over 8 weeks must be microchipped and relevant information including breeder details recorded with a Defra-compliant database operator, which helps support traceability.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) encourage the acquisition of dogs through (i) reputable rehoming organisations and (ii) breeders and (b) otherwise promote responsible dog ownership.

The Government encourages people to adopt from responsible rescue and rehoming organisations. Members of the public can check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has set clear standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures for their members. The Government also encourages prospective owners who choose to buy a dog to do so through reputable breeders. Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone breeding and selling dogs as a business or who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period must hold a valid licence from their local authority and meet strict welfare standards. The Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. We look forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from the taskforce in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with Woking Borough Council on the steps it has taken following his predecessor Department's report of its non-statutory review into Woking Borough Council’s finances, investments and related governance in 2023.

The Department regularly engages with both local authorities and Commissioner teams during interventions. Commissioners are required to regularly submit formal reports on progress and challenges in the local authority to the Department. The reports of the Woking Borough Council commissioners since their appointment in May 2023 are publicly available on gov.uk here. Alongside the government's decision to establish two unitary authorities in Surrey, we have committed to repay in-principle £500 million of Woking Borough Council’s debt in 2026-27 as a first instalment. We will continue to explore what further debt support is required at a later point. Any support must take into account value for money for the local and national taxpayer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate animal (a) rescues and (b) sanctuaries.

Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare, may be banned from owning animals. They may also face an unlimited fine, be sent to prison, or both. We are considering whether there is a need for further regulation of this sector as part of our development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. The Prime Minister has committed to publish an Animal Welfare Strategy later this year.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing the tax on sustainable fuel on the UK's motorsport sector.

Liquid biofuels and renewable fuels are taxed at the same rate as their petrol and diesel equivalents. The main rate is 52.95 pence per litre. The government keeps the tax system under review, with changes announced at fiscal events.

What steps his Department plans to take to improve the employment tribunal process.

We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are working with the judiciary and across Government withHis Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), Acas and the Department of Business and Trade on actions to improve performance in the Employment Tribunals.HMCTS continues to invest in improving Employment Tribunal processes through the recruitment of additional judges, deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. A ‘Virtual Region’ of judges has delivered over 1,500 extra sitting days. We are encouraging the uptake of mediation to help individuals resolve their employment issues at the earliest opportunity.Following recruitment, in 2024 we had 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and further recruitment for up to 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee paid employment judges were appointed in 2024 and recruitment will commence for another 50 in early 2026. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March a sitting day allocation for the Employment Tribunals of 33,900 in 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.The Government is clear that everyone should have access to Employment Tribunals, to challenge unfair behaviour at work. We recently reiterated this commitment, by announcing that bringing forward a case to an Employment Tribunal will remain free, to ensure that everyone can stand up for their rights at work, no matter their means.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of Leave to Remain applications.

To help reduce the number of outstanding claims for protection we are investing in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives that will speed up and simplify our processes, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision. The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including AI, to explore how we can improve productivity, speed up processing the asylum backlog, and restore order in the asylum system. We are also committed to ensuring our operational teams who process applications for leave to remain, have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand.

What arrangements were made following the introduction of sanctions on the owners of Sutton Place to (a) maintain the property and (b) pay any outstanding liabilities.

OFSI does not generally comment on specific cases. For further information about how OFSI takes licensing decisions, please see the OFSI’s general guidance here, and OFSI’s supplemental licensing guidance here. The asset freeze imposed on designated persons prohibits them from dealing with or benefiting from their UK assets, including real estate. Where appropriate, OFSI may issue either a general or specific licence on behalf of HM Treasury to permit activity that would otherwise be prohibited by an asset freeze. This includes to enable payments for pre-existing obligations and for the routine holding and maintenance of properties owned by designated persons. However, while a licence permits such payments, it does not compel the designated person to undertake the work. Therefore, even if OFSI issues a licence, maintenance or repairs will only take place if the designated person is willing to carry them out.

What discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on improving communication between his Department and HMRC on (a) cases involving voluntary National Insurance contributions paid while working abroad and (b) other matters.

We work closely with HMRC on Voluntary National Insurance Contributions, sharing information where appropriate and proactively identifying ways we can improve our working practices. This includes Voluntary National Insurance Contribution related work.

What steps his Department is taking to increase NHS capacity for ADHD assessments.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such assessments.It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available the appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year. We will carefully consider its recommendations.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan and has also released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and to publishing more localised data in future. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising grid connections for renewable energy projects that are ready to commence.

The Government is working closely with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and the network companies to deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. The reforms will prioritise connections for viable and strategically aligned projects, by releasing up to 500GW of capacity from the oversubscribed connections queue. This will enable accelerated connections for renewable energy projects that are ready and aligned with our strategic needs, as set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and help unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure.

What steps his Department is taking to support people who have been diagnosed privately with ADHD to enter shared care agreements with GPs.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.Shared care with the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Practices may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds.The GMC has issued guidance on prescribing and managing medicines, which helps GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors such as whether the proposed activity is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes the GP being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 73379 on Armed Forces: Vehicles, if his Department will centrally record data on the length of time that military assets are not (a) deployed and (b) operational.

Yes. The British Army uses an application called JAMES (Joint Asset Management and Engineering Solutions) to centrally track and manage all equipment.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned local government reorganisation in Surrey on the implementation of the Connect to Work programme in that county.

DWP has agreed a delivery plan and grant funding agreement with Surrey County Council to provide specialist Connect to Work employment support to up to 2500 disabled people, those with health conditions, and people with complex barriers until March 2030. The planned local government reorganisation in Surrey is not expected to impact on the delivery of Connect to Work. Should there need to be a change to the Lead Authority (Accountable Body) for the Connect to Work programme in Surrey, DWP will work with the affected authorities to determine the best transition that maintains successful delivery of the programme.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the suspension of new applications for refugee family reunion on children seeking to reunite with family members.

The suspension of the refugee family reunion route is temporary while the Government undertakes a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system. In the meantime, those with protection status can use other family routes to sponsor a partner and child to come to the UK. Information relating these changes are published on gov.uk at Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1298, 4 September 2025 - GOV.UK.

If her Department will publish an impact assessment on suspending new applications under the refugee family reunion route.

The suspension of the refugee family reunion route is temporary while the Government undertakes a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system. In the meantime, those with protection status can use other family routes to sponsor a partner and child to come to the UK. Information relating these changes are published on gov.uk at Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1298, 4 September 2025 - GOV.UK.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permanently linking local housing allowance rates to the bottom 30th percentile of local private rents to help ensure (a) affordable housing support and (b) a reduction in levels of child poverty.

My department is working closely with MHCLG as they develop the Long-Term Housing Strategy and through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping. The review of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates considers a range of factors, including impact of the rental market and decisions on LHA will be taken in the context of achieving the Government’s priorities and goals within this challenging fiscal environment.LHA was increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents in April 2024 costing an additional £1.2 bn in 2024/25 and £7bn over 5 years. LHA is not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Any future decisions on LHA policy will include consideration of market rents and impacts of LHA rates, including on poverty. For those who need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.